The present invention relates to the field of recyclable photographic cameras and more particularly to recyclable cameras that incorporate electronic circuits.
One time use cameras of the type that are pre-loaded with film, used once by a purchaser, and returned to a photofinisher for processing of the film are becoming increasingly popular with photographers. Principal reasons for this popularity include the low cost and high quality of the images captured using these cameras. One reason that one time use cameras can be sold at low cost is that many of the components used in one time use cameras are recycled by the manufacturer after a purchaser has completed exposing the pre-loaded film and turned the camera over to a photofinisher for development of the film. See for instance, Sakai et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,330. Therefore, many components of one time use cameras are designed to last through a suitable number of cycles of sale, use, reconstruction, and resale.
With the increasing popularity of recyclable cameras, consumers have indicated a desire for recyclable cameras having a wider variety of features. In particular, consumers have shown an interest in, for example, features such as a camera flash and the ability to record metadata on the film or in association with the film. Such features, in turn, require that one time use cameras have camera electronic systems that execute a set of functions necessary to perform the features. As a result, different types of camera electronic systems have been developed, with each different type performing a different set of functions.
Camera electronic systems, however, are relatively expensive components of one time use cameras. Thus, it is important that camera electronic systems are readily recyclable. However as the number of different types of camera electronic systems introduced by a manufacturer increases, the ability of the manufacturer to distribute the development costs for each type of camera electronic system proportionately decreases. This causes a net increase in the per unit cost of each type of camera electronic system. Further, different types of camera electronic systems are typically not compatible with the other types. This increases logistical problems during recycling making the recycling process more complex and expensive which, in turn, also causes a net increase in the cost of such cameras.
Thus, what is needed is a low cost camera electronic system that can be used in more than one different type of one time use camera.
In the electronics industry, it is known to provide circuit boards that contain all of the components necessary to cause the circuit board to perform at least two different functions. Such boards often provide jumper sites or selectable Dual In-line Package pins to allow a manufacturer, user, or other serviceperson to select the mode operation of the board by selectably positioning jumpers or selecting particular Dual In-line Package pins. Often, such circuit boards incorporate all of the componentry necessary to perform both functions. In such an embodiment, the base circuit board also provides jumper sites with properly positioned jumpers and/or an additional selectable Dual In-line Package pin structure. This adds cost, size, weight and complexity to the circuit board. Further, this creates potential quality problems in that improper jumper alignment or improper Dual In-line Package pin settings are easily overlooked during recycling.
Alternatively, it is known in the art to provide a circuit board having at least one frangible portion with circuit traces passing through the frangible portion. The operation of the circuit board is altered by breaking off the frangible portions so that selected circuit traces are interrupted causing the circuit board to operate in a different way. However, here too, the circuit board must provide all of the componentry necessary to perform more than one set of camera functions. Further, it is time consuming and expensive to replace the frangible portion during recycling.
In the electronics industry, it is also known to mechanically rework printed circuit boards by removing conductive traces from the circuit board and soldering wires to remaining traces to form new circuit patterns. It will be appreciated that this is a costly and time-consuming way to perform recycling. U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,561 shows a method of reworking a circuit board by adhering a flexible circuit having a non-conductive substrate to the circuit board. The non-conductive substrate has a circuit trace which acts as a jumper and joins two portions of a circuit together. This alters the underlying circuit system of the printed circuit board permitting the combined circuit board to operate in an altered manner. However, this method is directed at the problem of performing a single rework or repair to the circuit board. This does not address the problem of removing the flexible circuit from the non-conductive substrate and does not provide a cost efficient mechanism to recycle the printed circuit board.
Thus, what is needed, is a low cost camera electronic system of a first type that is readily modifiable to perform functions that are associated with a second type.
One approach for meeting this need is used by circuit boards that have a first circuit having a basic functionality to which additional circuits can be joined in order to add functionality to the first circuit. Examples of this include Japanese Patent Application 2001-228412A entitled xe2x80x9cStrobe Unit and Its Manufacturing Methodxe2x80x9d and Japanese Patent Application 2001-209095A entitled xe2x80x9cStrobe Unit and Its Manufacturing Methodxe2x80x9d. Each of these patent applications show a camera flash circuit board having a first circuit with a power supply, a voltage step up circuit, and a flash circuit to start the flash of a flash tube. Each of these circuit boards is also adapted with mountings and appropriate electrical circuitry to permit the boards to be combined with a second circuit member to add additional functionality to the first circuit. In each of these patent applications, the second circuit member is joined to the circuit board and thereby combined with the first circuit board to perform additional functions such as detecting the brightness of a scene in order to disable a flash, to quench a flash and/or to enhance the brightness of a flash.
In each of the ""412 and ""095 patent applications, the first circuit is physically joined to the second circuit in a manner that prevents separation. The combined circuits are installed into the camera. During recycling the first and second circuit boards must be physically separated. This joining and separating requires additional labor during the manufacturing and recycling processes. Further, this joining and separating can cause physical damage to the components of either the first circuit board or the second circuit board.
Another approach is described in Japanese Patent Application 2001-330928A. As is shown in this application, a camera mainframe having a first circuit board is joined to a camera cover having a second circuit board. Conductive contact pieces are fixed on a back of the second circuit board. The contact pieces are resilient and are pressed against the first circuit board when the cover is joined to the mainframe. The contact pieces form an electrical connection with a conductive pattern on the first circuit board thus permitting electricity to flow from the first circuit board to the second circuit board.
It will be appreciated that, in such a camera, the alignment of the contact pieces and the conductive pattern is critical. However, in the camera described in the ""928 application, the alignment is a function of the dimensional tolerances of the conductive surfaces, the mainframe, the linkage between the mainframe and the cover, the cover, and the second circuit board. The cumulative effect of these tolerances can make alignment of the contact pieces and the conductive pattern difficult to establish and maintain. This can cause the camera to perform in an unintended manner.
Thus, what is needed is a method for assembling and recycling a camera that combines two or more electronic circuits in a way that reduces the labor and risk of damage incident to the joining of the first and second circuit boards while ensuring that the electronic circuits stay in joined relationship during the life cycle of the one time use camera. What is also needed is a method for assembling and recycling the camera that reduces the amount of labor and the risk of damage that is incident with the separation of the circuit boards.
It will also be appreciated that during the recycling process, it is necessary to provide positive assurance that the camera system is operating as a camera of the first type or a camera of the second type. Thus, what is also needed is a camera system having a second circuit, the presence of which is easily detectable after manufacture by testing or quality assurance monitoring equipment.
Finally what is desired is a method for assembling and recycling cameras that minimizes the cost of the camera and of assembling and recycling the camera.
In one aspect of the present invention, what is provided is a camera body adapted to be joined to a cover, the cover having an outer electronic circuit with a set of electrical contacts, said contacts being positioned by the cover in relation to an aperture. The camera body comprises an inner electronic circuit with a set of electrical contacts adapted to engage the electrical contacts of the outer electronic circuit and to cooperate therewith to perform a set of camera functions when the set of electrical contacts from the outer electronic circuit is held against the set of electrical contacts from the inner electronic circuit. A post is aligned with the set of electrical contacts of the inner electronic circuit, the post being adapted to engage the aperture in the cover so that as the cover is joined to the body, the set of electrical contacts from the outer electronic circuit is aligned with the set of electrical contacts from the inner electronic circuit.
In another aspect, what is provided is a camera body adapted to be joined to a cover, the cover having an outer electrical circuit with a set of electrical contacts. The camera body comprises an inner circuit board having a passageway and an inner circuit with a set of electrical contacts adapted to engage the electrical contacts of the outer electronic circuit and to cooperate therewith to perform a set of camera functions when the contacts of the inner electronic circuit are held against the electrical contacts of an outer electronic circuit. A post is adapted to engage the passageway of the inner circuit board to align the electrical contacts of the inner circuit with the post. The post is further adapted to engage the aperture of an outer circuit board and to align the electrical contacts of the outer electronic circuit with the electrical contacts of the inner electronic circuit. The contacts of the outer electrical circuit are held against the contacts of the inner electrical circuit when the body is joined to such a cover.
In another aspect, what is provided is a camera comprising a frame having a first electronic circuit with a first set of electrical contacts with the first set of electrical contacts adapted to engage a second set of electrical contacts from a second electronic circuit and to cooperate therewith to perform a set of camera functions when said first set of contacts is held against said second set of electrical contacts. An image capture system is provided and joined to the frame. A cover is provided and is joinable to the frame with said cover having the second electronic circuit and with said cover positioning said second set of electrical contacts. A post is fixed in spaced relation to the first set of electrical contacts, said post adapted to engage an aperture in the cover to align the second set of electrical contacts so that as the cover is joined to the frame the second set of electrical contacts is aligned with the first set of electrical contacts is held against the first set of electrical contacts.
In still another aspect, what is provided is a camera having a frame joined to a first circuit board with the first circuit board having a passageway and a flash circuit. Said flash circuit having a first set of electrical contacts adapted to engage a second set of electrical contacts from a second electronic circuit and to cooperate therewith to perform a set of camera functions when said first set of contacts is held against said second set of electrical contacts. An image capture system is joined to the frame. A cover having a second circuit board with the second circuit board having the second electronic circuit and the second set of electrical contacts, said cover positioning the second circuit board so that the second set of electrical contacts is movable relative to the cover. A post is provided and extends between the frame and the cover, with said post adapted to engage said passageway and said aperture to align the passageway and the aperture so that when the cover is joined to the frame the second set of electrical contacts is aligned with the first set of electrical contacts and the second set of contacts is held against the first set of electrical contacts. In still another aspect of the present invention, what is provided is a method for assembling a camera. In accordance with this method, a base is obtained having a first electronic circuit adapted to join with more than one second electronic circuit. The desired set of functions that the camera is to perform is identified. A second cover having a second electronic circuit that is adapted to join with the first electronic circuit to perform the desired set of camera functions is provided. A common positional reference between the first electronic circuit and the second positional circuit is defined and the first electronic circuit and the second electronic circuit are aligned relative to the common positional reference. The first electronic circuit and the second electronic circuit are positioned together so that they can cooperate.